Instructions
Where are you from? Select your home country.
Like all placements that Letz Live offer, our contacts in New Zealand require motivated individuals to act as role models for their students. The majority of our placements are in close proximity to major townships throughout both the north and south island. That’s right, that means there are plenty of friendly locals for you to debate with what is better: Vegemite, Marmite or Promite!
As a whole, the New Zealand education curriculum and ways of life are similar to ours, making your transition just that little bit easier – not to mention that New Zealand is only three hours away from the Australian East Coast and a short plane trip to the South Pacific islands of Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu.
There’s a reason the sun shines on New Zealand before anywhere else – every new day in Aotearoa is something to cherish! Small, remote and thinly populated, yes, but NZ punches well above its weight with its outlandish scenery, fabulous festivals, superb food and wine, and magical outdoor experiences. Equally impressive is NZ’s potent, mainstream Maori culture. This is a country that recognises and celebrates its indigenous people – the world is a kinder, gentler, more respectful place down here! And while the fanfare surrounding the Lord of the Rings trilogy is waning, visiting the real-life Middle-earth still has a geeky allure - LOTR director Peter Jackson's filmmaking prowess still holds Wellington (aka ‘Wellywood’) in its thrall.
And then of course there’s the national obsession – rugby. After yet another dazzling failure at the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, the All Blacks are desperate to redeem themselves on home soil in 2011. The most successful rugby team in history (a 74% winning record!), the beloved All Blacks, were red-hot favourites in 2007, but crumbled under sustained quarter-final pressure from the French. Errors, poor decision-making and appalling umpiring delivered the New Zealanders a 20-18 defeat. The dumbfounded nation wept in the streets and looked around for someone to blame – calls for wholesale sackings were followed by ugly character assassinations in the media. The fragile national psyche took a beating, distraught Kiwis turning to each other and saying, ‘We suck at the only thing we’re good at!’ Until 2011, the team will have to satisfy itself with routine demolitions of Australia and South Africa in the annual Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cups.
Under prime minister Helen Clark's leadership, the government has continued its pacifist, anti-nuclear policy, whilst retaining NZ troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. The arts have flourished, unemployment has remained at record lows, and the domestic economy has been buoyant. The flow-on effect of a 2006 minimum wage increase has been a spike in goods and services prices. Travellers have been feeling the pinch – food, accommodation and transport costs have ballooned with demand. This, combined with a stronger Kiwi dollar, means NZ is far from the budget destination it once was.
There are few countries on this lonely planet as diverse, unspoiled and utterly, utterly photogenic.
A 'Gap year' is traditionally referred to as the year taken between the completion of secondary schooling and the commencement of tertiary education or entry into a future career. More ››
